Androgen Excess in Women: Proteomic and Metabolomic Approaches.

Most research efforts addressing the pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) applied targeted approaches focusing on specific genes and/or proteins that were selected on the basis of previous knowledge about their putative roles in metabolic and signalling pathways. On the contrary, the use of nontargeted approaches is not constricted by previous knowledge on the issue and offers the potential advantage of revealing novel associations with unexpected molecules that might lead to new mechanistic explanations for the etiology and the pathophysiology of PCOS. To date, several "omics" approaches have been applied to create a holistic picture complementing the information generated by genetic studies. Proteomics and metabolomics have the potential advantage over genomics of integrating genetic and epigenetic influences, thereby facilitating interpretation of the molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS. This chapter summarizes recent advances provided by proteomic and metabolomic studies addressing PCOS and aims to offer a critical yet balanced review of the studies published to date.